A Time of War
by KoharaAho
Summary: War has finally been declared and calls for Konoha's finest. It's Sakura's first War, she can only hope that her and her love ones make it out alive.


"Hamiko! Go grab a roll of gauze!" Sakura waved a hand at the younger medic. A nervous but bright girl.

"Y-Yes Sakura-sama." Hamiko scampered off in search.

Sakura turned back to her patient who had been hit by a kunai during the battle, one of the many injured. She applied pressure to stem the blood flow, the blue glow of her chakra lighted her hands as she began to mend the wound. There wasn't the time or means to heal it completely, she would need to conserve as much of her chakra as possible for the line of others she had yet to work on. The job was to start the process, not complete.

Four days had passed since the attack on their outpost. The Iwa and Ame ninja had yet to show any sign of withdrawal.

The somewhat peaceful years of her childhood had come to an end with the start of the war against Iwa. It hadn't been a surprise; everyone had seen it coming when the new Tsuchikage was announced. A ninja hellbent on destruction and power. It was only a matter of time for war to be declared. Iwa was attempting to spread their rein and had already done so with some success. They were now joined with Ame and their combined force was pushing at the Fire countries border. Fortunately, Konoha had heard warning of the planned infiltration days before hand, so their three outposts that sat nearest the Ame border were heavily manned with ready Konoha ninja.

Hamiko returned shortly with six rolls of gauze, the girl was definitely _thorough_. Sakura accepted a roll and wrapped the man's middle with practiced ease. Without much other than a pat to his back she moved on to the next patient.

The medic tent was filled with medic ninja working on the wounded. Shouts of various orders and pain were intangible echoes that served little to muffle the sounds of battle that encompassed the outpost. The blood of others adorned Sakura's apron. She had no idea how long it had been since her last break. It could have been an hour, maybe even _days_; time was inconsequential during war.

She wiped at her forehead with the back of her hand, taking a deep breath during a brief moment of pause when all the wounded were being taken care of by other medics. The adrenaline that fueled her began to deplete and the weight of her load substantiated. Hamiko was sunken into a chair, looking just as spent as Sakura felt. Before she could sit, two dirt covered ninjas burst through the tent flaps, dragging with them another wounded. It took a few seconds for Sakura to process the scene before her but when the recognition dawned on her it came with the force of an explosion greater than the ones outside.

Familiar silver hair jumped at her, pulling her forward.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she gaped with apparent worry.

"Sakura! Get over here!" Genma bellowed at her as he and the other ninja dropped her old sensei onto a vacant bed. She hadn't even realized it was Genma before he spoke. She was there in an instant.

"What happened?"

"We-" Genma breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath. "We were out on the forests edge, nearest Ame's border. There was a small squad of Iwa ninja's that we were chasing off when we were flanked. It was a trap. I thought we were all dead… but then Kakashi-"

He went on to explain but Sakura didn't hear it. She looked down at Kakashi's limp form. He looked ashen under all the dirt and blood, like he was fading from reality. The weakest she had ever seen him. It terrified her and froze her in a brief moment that seemed too last eons.

This was Kakashi-sensei. He couldn't loose let alone _die_. The mere thought of it made her dizzy with grief. If only she had been there, maybe she could have helped to prevent it. She could have done something. She would have done _anything_ if it meant she would never have had to see him like this.

She was suddenly shook out of her state with panicked determination and worked to check his condition. His pulse was weak. She checked his eye, the sharingan had a trail of blood leading from it. Genma's voice faded back into focus. "…large blast, then he went down-"

"He was injured by the blast?"

"Sakura. Have you been listening to me? Kakashi used that blast jutsu just to stir up some dirt and distract them. You know how he's all about big show and fancy what not's, the more attention the better for him,'

She looked back down at Kakashi, he let out a low groan and rustled a bit. It seemed that he was slightly conscious.

'but anyways, then he went down into the dust cloud and ended up using his mangekyuo on them all. Saved all our sorry asses. Then he collapsed right after, he really over did it this time.' Genma rolled the senbon in his mouth (she couldn't help but wonder how exactly Genma hadn't dropped it between all the fighting and cumulative blasts). 'So we carried him back and now we're here."

The panic she had been feeling before left her just as quickly as it came the moment a gloved hand grasped her behind. Kakashi's sluggish groaning had turned into a content _mmm_-ing. He was definitely conscious.

"Kakashi-sensei!" That time she yelled his name for a complete opposite reason then when he first arrived.

She grabbed his wrist and jerked it away from its _previous hold _and grasped it firmly in front of her_. _He may have looked like he was on deaths door, but Sakura saw it just fine, if not _just,_ that she punch him clear across the Fire country for all she cared. She was just about to do just that when the copy ninja chose to speak.

"Sa…" His eye creaked open, the sharingan staying firmly shut, as he turned his head enough to look up at her looming figure.

"Sakura…" Sakura felt small under his serious stare. He looked contemplative, and then his hand began to move from her hold upward to gently cup her cheek. "…there's something I need to tell you." She stood unmoving beneath his cold hand at her cheek, his thumb moved in small soothing strokes. A suspense hung over her as she waited for him to say something profound.

"Kakashi…"

"shh…" He moved a few loose pink strands behind her ear as he shushed her.

"I want you to know that you were my favorite student and I want… I want you to have something that I don't trust anyone else with."

She tried to stay calm as her heart raced.

"I want you to have my entire Icha Icha collection."

She blinked a few times and stared.

"Please take care of them." And with those final words, his hand fell from her face as he dropped into a deep sleep. He snored lightly, as if he were home in his own bed.

Sakura fought down the smile that threatened to escape. He was a dirty old pervert, an _alive _dirty old pervert. And for that she was grateful.


End file.
